But studies over the years found only minor variations from the norm. Einstein’s brain proved about 10% lighter than average, and exhibited some abnormalities in regions such as the frontal lobes, which control planning and motivation. But by and large, it was found to be an ordinary assemblage of ventricles, lobes, cortex and stem.[break]
Noting these studies, co-authors Deepak Chopra and Rudolph E. Tanzi name Einstein the hero of their new book, “Super Brain.” The physicist is exalted not for his intellect, but for his ‘adaptability.’ Einstein, by his own admission, was a mediocre mathematician; his true strength, according to the authors, lay in his ability to set aside established notions of gravity and space, grounded in an understanding of the cosmos as a giant machine, and think afresh. Einstein, we are told, “hung loose” and let ideas come to him through dreams and intuition. His greatest motivation was the “awe and wonder before the mysteries of Nature.”
Chopra and Tanzi posit that we are all in possession of a super brain with extraordinary potential – it’s just a matter of tapping it. Both authors offer prescriptions based on knowledge in their field. Chopra, a medical doctor by training, has helped to popularize Indian spiritual teaching in the West. Tanzi, Professor of Neurology at Harvard University, isolated the first Alzheimer’s disease gene before heading up the Alzheimer’s Genome Project.
Although the authors write in the third person (with occasional reference to ‘Rudy’ and ‘Deepak’), their individual voices are distinct. About halfway through, I began to think of them as Rudy – left brain, Deepak – right brain although both would, no doubt, balk at the monikers. One of the strongest messages to emerge from their book is that conceptions of one’s own strengths can be limiting.
The brain, we are told, will “eavesdrop” on the mind and has a tendency to live up to diminished expectations. In other words, if you conceive of yourself as a math/science person who can’t write or paint or sing, then you’ll probably remain that way. But if you push yourself in new directions, up-skilling and seeking out new experiences, then you may well be surprised.
The super brain, as defined by Chopra and Tanzi, is an organ harnessed by the mind. The authors acknowledge that the distinction between the two entities is spurious, but use it just the same as a kind of shorthand. Variously, the ideal mind/brain synergy is compared to the relationship between a lion tamer and a lion, a grand piano and its player, and a horse and its rider. But more often than not, the mind’s authority lapses.
Many of us, the authors contend, are consumed by materialism and succumb to rage, addiction, and a sense of victimhood, laboring all the time under the misapprehension that our neural patterns are hardwired and unchangeable.
After reading the litany of dysfunctions and vices, I was reminded of what it was like to walk our otherwise sweet-natured cocker spaniel Rosie who had an inexplicable tendency to bark at senior citizens and tug on the lead when she sniffed out food, sex or rivals.
Chopra and Tanzi proffer advice on how to be smarter, kinder, healthier, fitter and happier. But what elevates the book from the realm of pop psychology is its scientific foundation. The true strength of Super Brain is its quirky compilation of supporting evidences. The authors, for instance, cite the work of British neurologist John Lorber who described a meeting with a university graduate with hydrocephalus, a condition also known as water on the brain.
The young man had an enlarged head, but showed no other discernible symptoms of the syndrome. He had obtained a first in mathematics and clocked an IQ of 126 despite the fact that his brain weighed no more than 150 grams, about a tenth of the norm. CT scan images revealed that the organ comprised a 1mm-thick casing of tissue near the skull, filled entirely with cerebral fluid.
Such cases are fascinating and inspirational, but where the authors let down their readers is in their meditations on spirituality.
Chopra has spent his career promoting mind/body healing, so naturally one would expect him to delve into such territory. But here, his advice to seek out the divine sounds preachy. Such exhortations jar with the practical tips on mind control and at times come across as irrelevant. Einstein, the authors’ “hero of the Super Brain” was in fact an agnostic. He was raised a Jew but held fast to secularist principles, denying the existence of a personal God.
I must admit, I skimmed over some of the sections of the book, in which Chopra’s voice resounded. But after reading the final page, I found myself examining my own bad habits of the mind. The authors’ warning on complacency had left me cold.
“Unfortunately, you can feel basically alright and still be damaging your well-being by tiny degrees. A life of white lies, avoidance, judgment, self-abnegation and petit illusions sounds harmless enough, but like Chinese water torture, negativity works by droplets.”
alanarosenbaum@me.com
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